as in to play
to pretend to be (what one is not) in appearance or behavior
likes to personate the man of the world, but he's still the small-town hick that he always was
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of personate
Till’s motifs swept though the ensemble, as horns, clarinets, bassoons, violin all had a chance to personate the character.
—
By Libby Hanssen, kansascity.com, 3 June 2017
By Libby Hanssen, kansascity.com, 3 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for personate
Verb
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That was the game Towns played.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Mia Arguelles, who typically plays midfielder, filled in at goalkeeper due to injuries and made two saves for Andrew (7-6-1, 3-2).—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Julián Jiménez Catholic Charities has publicly warned that its representatives are being impersonated to scam immigrants.—
Albinson Linares,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
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So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Another potential treatment route the study opens up is using machines to massage cancer cells, imitating the rhythmic beating of the heart.—
Anil Oza,
STAT,
23 Apr. 2026
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While using Rallee, students might jump in place to help their avatar clear an obstacle or imitate their avatar by stretching their arms wide while taking a deep breath.—
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo,
The Conversation,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The two men embraced and spoke after Ross’ performance — a scene Hart mocked by implying Ross was kissing up to the GOAT.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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In the sketch, Sherman wore oversized fake teeth and mocked Wood’s Manchester accent in a line about removing fluoride from water and eating monkeys.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The film stars renegade country singer Elizabeth Cook as a fictionalized version of herself, portraying an artist navigating midlife while contending with an industry that has never fully embraced her.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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However, director Antoine Fuqua made the conscious decision to use CGI to portray the chimpanzee.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officials say that general counsel Karen Buffkin will serve in an acting leadership role to ensure continuity of operations while the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education determines next steps in the selection of new leadership.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
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To sniff out the atomic hydrogen — the more diffuse, cooler gas that acts as the initial, sprawling reservoir for future star formation — the team harnessed the immense power of China's Five Hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST).—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Personate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personate. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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